At a recent meeting of the Future Value Project, we discussed the opportunity to use data from EOV (Ecological Outcome Verification) to support—and monitor—decision-making that moves us towards greater farm, social and health outcomes. That shifts the whole farm system in the direction of improved profitability, resilience and sustainability.

By understanding the ecological health of the land, we can make decisions that better support the critical Ecosystem Functions which underpin our farm systems. The snapshot of ecological health captured by each EOV assessment shows where improvements can be made, and will over time track the impact of any management changes.

While the EOV data gathered each year and the picture built up over time is informative, it’s the decisions made in response to that information that drive improvement.

Health monitoring, but for your farm system

Consider EOV as you would an annual medical checkup and blood tests. Neither the medical exam nor the blood test results has any direct health benefits. It’s how we use the information that can bring about greater health. And those improvements come from applying certain recognised principles – things like diet, exercise, social connection, and so on.

These principles can be applied in many ways, depending on an individual’s situation and goals (their context). There’s no ‘one size fits all’. Although the principles remain the same, to be most effective, their application must be tailored to suit the context.

It’s exactly the same when looking to use EOV results to improve ecological and farm system health and performance. Annual EOV monitoring identifies areas with potential to improve ecological function. And we can use that data to determine where and how to best apply the principles of regeneration within our farm context to meet our future goals.

Putting the theory into practice

To highlight what’s possible, below are a couple of good examples from farms we’ve been working with over the past few years. Neither are directly comparable to typical MRV deer farming operations, but they highlight what’s possible when using EOV data to pinpoint the health of the Ecosystem Functions we so rely on to support farm output and profitability.

Example: Farm A – Beef and sheep with high % cropping

Ecoregion: high country, North Island
Land area: approx. 1270ha
Rainfall: averaging 750mm pa

Shifting from net degenerating to net regenerating

Monitoring started in 2019, and the overall EHI (Ecological Health Index) scores for the farm show a clear trend, starting with a status of ‘net degenerating’ (see graph in figure 1 below). Certain decisions were made in 2022/3 that moved the farm strongly through an initial transition phase and onto a clear ‘net regenerating’ status.

Figure 1: Overall EHI (Ecological Health Index) scores for ‘Farm A’ 2019-2024

The new management decisions had an obvious regenerative impact. And that trend showed up as strong improvements in all four Ecosystem Functions (see graph in figure 2 below), especially the Mineral Cycle and Energy Flow.

Figure 2: Farm Ecosystem Function scores for ‘Farm A’ 2019-2024

More feed, better animal performance and higher profits

The new strategy is primarily related to changes in grazing management. Changes were made to the mobbing of animals, with shorter periods of set stocking and a focus on leaving higher pasture residuals, combined with longer periods of pasture recovery.  

The individual Biological Indicators across the same years (see graph in figure 3 below) point to where these changes were supporting better ecosystem health. Those that showed the most improvement were:

• Living Canopy Abundance (far left)
• health, vigour and diversity of the Cool Season Grasses (third from left)
• reduction in Bare Soil (fourth from right)
• reduced Water Erosion (far right)

Figure 3: Farm Biological Indicator scores for ‘Farm A’ 2019-2024

The farm grew more feed through 2023 and 2024, and it was possible to reduce the amount of cropping without affecting production. In fact, both animal performance and farm profit improved in 2023 and 2024.

Example: Farm B – Beef and sheep breeding and finishing

Ecoregion: high country, South Island
Land area: approx. 700ha
Rainfall: < 500mm pa

Positive gains in ecosystem health and drought resilience

This farm started monitoring using EOV in 2022 and began to apply regen principles, mainly focused on changing grazing management. Shifting to larger mob sizes and longer recovery periods had an immediate positive impact on ecosystem health (see graph in figure 4 below), and despite a serious drought in 2024 (the worst in 80 years), the farm still looked better than others in this region. The owners reported much improved resilience during the drought, and the farm recovered well into 2025.

Figure 4: Overall EHI (Ecological Health Index) scores for ‘Farm B’ 2022-2025

Trending improvements were seen across all ecosystem functions (see graph in figure 5 below). All have moved closer to potential since monitoring was started, despite the obvious temporary dip during the 2024 drought. The most significant shift toward potential is the Mineral Cycle and Energy Flow.

Figure 5: Farm Ecosystem Function scores for ‘Farm B’ 2022-2025

More energy in the system and impressive recovery from drought

The Biological Indicators supporting these shifts in Ecosystem Functions are shown in the graph in figure 6 below. Notable improvements were seen in:

• Live Canopy Abundance (far left)
• vigour and diversity of Cool Season Grasses (third from left)
• Forbs and Legumes (fourth from left)
• reduction in Bare Soil (fourth from right)

Figure 6: Farm Biological Indicator scores for ‘Farm B’ 2022-2025

This example shows that managing stock to create and hold more cover on the farm brings more energy into the system. It also supports the conditions that reduce bare soil and improve the health, diversity and vigour of forage species.

The impact of this additional cover is highlighted in the increase in the EHI from 2022 to 2023, and the subsequent drop from 2023 to 2024 when coverage was much reduced due to drought. Yet even then, the conditions on this farm were better than those across the region, and the improved energy and resilience in the system supported a very good recovery in 2025.

Focusing on principles, not practices

When we consider responses from across the country, covering all stock types, the biggest impact on EHI and ecological health comes from increasing forage cover across the farm. This brings more energy into our farming system through higher overall photosynthesis levels, with the subsequent reduction in bare soil improving all ecosystem functions.

As shown in both examples, any decisions that increase average cover across the farm (over the year) and reduce the amount of bare soil will show up as improvements in ecological health. There will also be a related improvement in the health, vigour and diversity of functional species present in the pasture, and knock-on effects for animal performance, farm profitability and overall resilience.

In every case, there are several ways to achieve this. The specific decisions should be based on your context. The key is to make decisions based on the principles of, for example, maximising photosynthesis and keeping ground covered, rather than focusing too much on the specific grazing practices themselves.

The practices, like mob grazing and longer recovery periods, are the tools. The principles are what allow you to adapt those tools to your farming system to consistently achieve your future goals in your context, over an extended period of time.

How Ata Regenerative supports your journey

Regenerative agriculture works best when we understand our role within nature’s cycle — the constant exchange between plants and animals, decay and renewal, giving and receiving.

Our Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) programme helps you build that understanding. It offers a clear framework for applying Holistic Management principles, including Holistic Planned Grazing, Land Planning, and Financial Planning, so you can make decisions grounded in what your land is actually telling you.

Because every farm, region, and ecosystem in Aotearoa has its own character, EOV acts as a way to “listen” to your landscape — revealing what’s thriving, what’s struggling, and where the greatest opportunities for improvement lie.

Joining the EOV programme is a powerful step toward unlocking the untapped potential in your soil, your team, your business, and your wider community.

Ata Regenerative became the first Savory Hub for New Zealand in 2017 and currently monitors 245 farms across 500,000 hectares. Globally, EOV covers 3.75 million hectares and is recognised as the gold standard, giving farmers, brands, and consumers confidence that production supports genuine regeneration.

We’re proud to support farmers who are ready to lead the shift toward a more resilient, regenerative future.

If you’d like to explore how EOV works or what a regenerative transition could look like on your farm, we’re here to help.

Reach out today — your journey toward abundance begins with one conversation.

Hugh Jellie BVSc MRCVS

Master Field Professional/ Master Verifier

Managing Director – Ata Regenerative